


dancing with the shadows

by YukinaMika



Series: 2020 [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe, I REGRET NOTHING, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Multi, this is some blend of magic!au and demon!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:59:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22213687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YukinaMika/pseuds/YukinaMika
Summary: "Beloved Ladybug," her alias sounded much kinder on his lips than it was on that treacherous witch's. "Would you give me everything that you own?"
Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Luka Couffaine/Kagami Tsurugi/Damian Wayne
Series: 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1593016
Comments: 10
Kudos: 141





	dancing with the shadows

She had never been afraid of the dark. Or rather, she had never understood the logic of fearing the lack of light when the idea of not knowing the things that lurked in the dark were thousands times scarier.

She breathed and the thing that came out was white, curling fog while the dried leaves crunched under her bare feet. The cloak - red as blood, as the roses she laid on the gravestones of her parents - hugged her, encompassing in the way that reminded her of her mother's touch, of her father's encouraging smile yet she shivered in the cold of the night, goosebumps decorated her arms underneath the thin material.

"I know you are here," she whispered into the night, into the endless, shapless darkness that seemed to twist and turn in her presence. "I know you are listening."

No answer came. No reply. Just the silence that seemed to stretch into infinity.

"I came here to negotiate," she tried again, noting how her voice began to waver. _It's the cold,_ she thought. "An eye for an eye, a leg for a leg and all of that."

The fire that had swallowed her home had robbed her of everything that built her up. The home she grew up in, the bakery that she helped shape, the very lives of her parents, all lost in the fiery flames.

She had cried in Luka's arms, reaching toward her burning home where the cries of her parents shattered the quiet air, telling her to run and run. Kagami had clamped a hand over her mouth, mindless of the snots and tears and together, they dragged her to Kagami's place, undetected by the mob gathering outside of her childhood home.

They had held her as she cried, silent and mournful as she raged at the unfairness, of the traitorous lies that led to her house in flames and her parents lost to death. Luka soothed her with a hand on her back as she curled around Kagami, hiccuping with every breath while the other girl carded careful fingers through her hair.

 _You need to get out of here,_ Kagami had whispered into the crook of her neck as Luka's hold across her middle tightened just fractionally.

 _I can't leave you here,_ she had protested, squirming in their hold to meet their eyes.

Kagami's were the color of of a hiltless blade, all sharp edges and ruthlessness in such tender eyes that spoke of passions, of challenges, of life. And she could lose herself in Luka's blue gaze, drowning endlessly in their depths, beautiful and kind and absolutely ferocious in the merciless plans his brilliant mind came up.

 _They will come for you,_ she had whispered into Kagami's hair and her grip on Luka's wrist, iron. _They will burn you._

 _Please,_ she pleaded, cried. _I can't... I can't..._

And now, she whispered the same words into the darkness. In the middle of the forest that reeked of blood, of death, of darkness, at the heart of the home of demons that haunted nightmares of men ten times her side, she pleaded for help, for power, for a solution.

"Please," she said and a spark of hope kindled in her chest when her eyes caught sight of something in the shadow. "Name a price."

"I will accept any prices, within my abilities," she promised and her heart soared when she felt the familiar chill that announced the presence of a demon. "As long as they live, I will accept any terms, if they are within my abilities."

A warmth blossomed at the back of her neck, a stark contrast with the drop of temperature around her and she would have jumped of not for the experiences from her previous encounters with this particular demon. Idly, she wondered how a demon could be both cold and warm.

"Beloved Ladybug," her alias sounded much kinder on his lips than it was on that treacherous witch's. "Would you give me everything that you own?"

It was a simple question. And this, she knew the answer to. She had asked herself every moment since she was forced on the run. The idea had been there when flames burned down her family. She had played with it when Kagami laid on the ground, bleeding but alive, bounded and gagged while Luka sat next to her, bruised but dignified in the way he stared down at the witch that started all of this.

The answer came so easy that the Marinette of the past - the one who had not known losses, the one who had not seen her everything being taken away, the one who had not witnessed the lives of the last of her family hanging by the thread and listened as the court declared them guilty and sentenced them to the crosses - would be horrified.

The demon chuckled into her ears and she knew his eyes - a beautiful shade of green that reminded her of never ending forests and lands that ran beyond the horizons - must be sparkling.

"Beloved," he crowed, dark and sweet and brimming with promises. "You honor me."

* * *

Morning came, quietly and softly and the air thrummed with some unnamed anticipation. The prisoners-to-die were dragged to the crosses standing tall amidst the woods and straws.

Kagami walked with her head held high, tiredness etched in the lines of her face. The simple white dress they had dressed her in was battered and old and probably had seen better days.

Behind her, Luka followed cautiously, scanning the crowd, unhurried and unafraid of the sneers and glares, of the disgust and hatred. His pace picked up slightly at the growls from their escorts, axes at the ready should they try to make a run for it.

"Today, we gather," the mayor's voice was steady and calm as they were tied to the crosses. "Today, we witness the destruction of two of the devil's faithful servants. Today, our citizens will sleep better, knowing that the threats to our very way of life have decreased and our city, a little bit safer. This is nothing much but every little action counts. Today, we will rid our city of their vile stains and tomorrow, we will terminate each and every last one of these deviants!"

Kagami's eyes were on the horizons, fixed on something invisible but her lips trembled beneathed the piece of clothes that they gagged her with and she was mortal too. And Luka stared at the mayor, at the crowd, at the traitor that turned onto them.

"What goes around will come around," he addressed them and did not suppress the shiver of satisfaction as some paled and some went red with anger. "Try and hold on tight."

The grin he shot them was sharp but his guts churned. He was about to die and it could have been his sister, tied to this very cross had their mother had not taken her away. It could have been his mother had she not left with his sister's safety in mind. It could be... It could be...

Too much what-ifs and he caught Kagami's eyes. Strong but afraid, wavering but passionate.

The gratitude that the third person in their relationship was far away, safe from harm was shared in the way Kagami nodded softly like a goodbye kiss and Luka grinning a crook smile, like the last hugs shared between those who had weathered storms together.

The flames rose and rose and it was so hard to breath. It was hard to see but it was enough to see the cruel edge in Rossi's smile.

Luka peered through the smoke, eyes on the horizon as he sent out an apology and he could tell Kagami was doing the same.

 _Sorry,_ he thought of her smiles and the twinkle in her eyes. _We probably won't meet again._

And his eyes caught sight of the red cloak and he choked on spit and smoke, bitter and awful and watched as shadows lingered at the edged of the square.

 _What did you do?_ He asked dispairingly as the shadows reached up and chaos descended onto the square.

Their love stood, watching with a serene smile as the shadows lowered Kagami and him down and then there she was, shredding through their ropes with a dagger.

"Love," he coughed, fingers digging into the arm of their love as Kagami sagged against him and hissed, in worry and despair, unmindful of the massacre around them. "What did you do?"

* * *

The blade cut through flesh, clean and efficient. The feeling of bones broken under her hand still lingered in her mind.

She wiped the blood of her dagger and sheathed it, crouching down to inspect her prize.

It was a dire wolf, large and especially bloodthirsty. It had been preying on maidens from the nearby town for years until they finally put a stop to it.

"Beloved," a whisper by her ear and she did not jolt when a warm touch rest on her back and hot breath just happened to be in the vicinity of her ear. 

"You were ferocious," drawled the demon, crouching down beside her and eyeing her catch with a mixture of something in his eyes. "It was absolutely ravishing."

She had not known what to make of the demon at first. She had been informed of the deal between one of her loves and him. Marinette had promised him her heart and he, the safety of her loves.

 _I can share,_ the demon had purred against her throat, nipping warningly as her grip on his hair tightened. _And I certainly do not mind tasting other adequate fruits._

She had been taught that demons were possessive, that they shared poorly. She had been told that they hoarded what was theirs and selfishly kept it for themselves.

 _I am possessive,_ the demon laughed, perching on top of Luka, hands pinning his wrist to the ground and preening himself on his victory with the way he bared his teeth in a resemblance of a smile her way. _Our beloved promised me her heart, after all._

She had not understood then.

Their loves came to their side, battered and bruised but alive and burning with life. Marinette was smiling, drunk on victory, happy that one more town was saved and Luka pulled them into a hug that left her breathless for more.

They left, with winks and light kisses pressed to their forehead, pulling her prize toward their camp site, leaving the demon and her alone. And Kagami breathed.

Oh.

_Oh._

She understood now.

The demon - no, he said they could call him Damian - tilted his head minutely. It was a small gesture that a stranger would miss but she was not a stranger, was she?

"Are you coming?" He asked, staring at the direction of their loves headed.

"Go ahead," she nodded and steered him after them, barely keeping the smile off of her face. "I will catch up later."

The way he narrowed his eyes at her would have been offensive but it was his own version of a _'Be careful'_ that each of them had received plenty of times. A soft nod and he strided after the duo.

 _Our beloved promised me her heart,_ his words echoed in her giddy mind. _I intend to treasure it._

She remembered the way he had snarled at a baker's daughter when she had gotten too friendly with Luka at a town they had passed. She remembered the men he sent running when they tried to make a move on Marinette. She remembered the shared drinks in the light of the fire as they kept watch together, silently but never alone.

 _Treasure it, indeed,_ she mused, her feet carrying her after her loves in a much slower pace, fondness in her step and her heart alight.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this when I was supposed to be asleep, again.
> 
> This was supposed to be two or three chapters but things happened.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
